GUILTY IL - Jacob Wheeler, 22, & Jessica Evans, 17, White County, 25 Aug 2012 - #2

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The Skunk At The Garden Party Returns to hope to clarify a bit.

As cases go, yes: confusing and convoluted. Due, in part, to two sites (even three, actually?) And, of course, The Witching Hour, Zig-Zagging Type Time Line.

The campsite: techically is on “private” property but sounds like common public-access to the river well-known and commonly used by many area people.

The Roadway Murder Site: site where (Jacob) was surprise shot on a remote rural route. (Speculation - through open cab window, not rolled up glass. Don't forget the horrendous heat we'd been having.)

The Rape/Murder site: Jessica's locale for attack and murder well away from the campsite.

(And, BTW, Jacob could have so easily toppled from the cab into the road ditch. If no sign of oncoming traffic he’d have likely just stopped in the middle of the road which are sometimes quite narrow. Common behavior, esp. at night when no headlight gleams ahead signal no traffic ahead, so no bother to pull to the side of the road.

As for Jessica in "pajamas" (over which much will probably be made). Not the frilly lightweight sleeping apparel for sliding between crisp sheets. Probably the loose “lounging” type pants-type construction, heavier cotton, or flannel material, warm, easy to move around in during camping, comfortable, less binding than denim jeans but carried in stores over near where nighties are also sold. Such an item is easily laundered, or tossed in the trash if they get too dirt/mud stained, or slimed from handling fresh-caught fish. People wear them out in public a lot around here, day and night. (Including guys who really, really shouldn’t.)

The Time Line Causes confusion as it occurred very late Saturday night, or extremely early Sunday morning. Friday and Saturdays may be the worst, as people are out partying, and they consider it the new day when they topple into bed to later arise, and not according to what exactly the clock revealed.

Sometimes with The Midnight Hour time-lines blur back and forth, as it seems it has in this case during interviews conducted by LEOs. Coston’s boat, hung up on a boat trailer, hooked to his Toyota Tundra, from which he finally unhooked, was at the comparatively “safe” public-like access to the Wabash. He probably hated to unhook his pickup, because it can be very hard to REhook in a situation like that and takes time and aggravation to get the connecting linkages to exactingly align again. Coston’s temporarily abandoned boat was not at the murder scene (Jessica’s) so he felt “safe” in leaving his boat where it was until the next morning when he’d have hauled girlfriend Candace to that site and had her help him with its removal in broad daylight. I'd believe in his mind there was no risk of returning to the campsite, well-away from the murder site, because others frequented it too, and nothing at that site TO connect him to the murders elsewhere. Frankly, there was little chance of anyone discovering the road-way murder site, with sluicing rains that came within a week to obliterate much evidence. And he drove Jacob's truck to her murder site to lay the groundwork for pointing blame on an innocent boyfriend.

And no, it is certainly not the first case of where women have helped murderous boyfriends.

There was a well-known one, also regionally, near Terre Haute, Indiana some years back on the Big Wabash where a fellow murdered his wife, used a farm-grease gun to fill all bodily orifices with grease commonly squeezed into farm equipment. He stuffed his dead wife into a 55 gallon drum, set the barrel afire, and he and his gf “camped” and had sex while the one he’d vowed to love, cherish, honor burnt up with the barrel residue tossed into the river. This one was filmed and produced for television.

Jacob's father in his untiring searching, familiar with the Little Wabash, no doubt walked many, many miles in a desperate and heartbreaking search. So glad that CrimeStoppers DID award him the money posted as an incentive to draw people forward. His doggedness save the case. AND it was because of the Howzers pressing and pushing and promoting that Mr. Wheeler DESERVED it, that they went-against common protocol and did allow "family" to have it. That's buried days many days ago on their FaceBook site.
 
Does anyone know if the video/audio of all four of LE's interrogations of DC go the defense when discover is turned over? Is this the reason video/audio itself was not present today in the prelim and just Meirer's testimony? TIA

Questions and thoughts generated from article:

It is not clear if only the boat trailer was stuck vs the truck also; but DC reportedly unhitched the truck later to use it for the disposal of JW. Earlier Jake offered him a ride home..not back to where his truck was located. Furthermore, DC supposedly walked almost 2 miles to the kid's campsite. (Now wondering if DC had a cell with him?) That's atleast a half hour walk at a very brisk pace!! So with that, JW had to have been told the truck was also stuck.

JW had to feel something was hinky if what we have been told here is infact true;.although, I would be pizzed also if I was awoken from a deep sleep with my honey and had to be up very early in a short time.. by a drunk who supposedly sunk his junk in silt. There's also the story of DC riding in the bed of the truck for the ride home....rather than upfront with the two. Again, if true....maybe Jake and Jessi were strangers to DC, but either one, especially neighboring Jake, could have heard rumors or stories about DC and was just being cautious. (Frequent in rural parts) Maybe DC became belligerent again insisting to be taken back to his truck...to simply get his forgotten alcohol stash, persistance of them helping again, or for a more nefarious reason which was planned from the beginning.

In no way, imo, did JE remove her clothing voluntarily. He demand such with the help of weapon. The holding hands was his restraint and control...NOT a gesture of the "lovemaking". FGS...:furious:

**When did the bumper come off of DC's truck? We are told when he was trying to free his boat trailer; however from the earlier info we heard when Mr. W found it, it was said to have blood it. If true, then DC still had the bumper when disposing of JW because of the blood. ????

We need to know the times of these events!!!!! When he left the Am.Legion, when he encountered the couple, etc. Please media!

jmo
 
Actually, I doubt it would have taken that long. It was 1.7 miles. I used to walk 3 miles at a brisk pace in under 40 minutes. Granted, I'm lighter and probably more fit than Cotson. :)

And the bumper...I've also heard it was just a piece of the bumper, not the whole thing. I've also heard it wasn't a bumper at all, but something like a headlight cover. Maybe we will get more clarification later. But I've never got the impression that the whole bumper came off.
 
Actually, I doubt it would have taken that long. It was 1.7 miles. I used to walk 3 miles at a brisk pace in under 40 minutes. Granted, I'm lighter and probably more fit than Cotson. :)

And the bumper...I've also heard it was just a piece of the bumper, not the whole thing. I've also heard it wasn't a bumper at all, but something like a headlight cover. Maybe we will get more clarification later. But I've never got the impression that the whole bumper came off.

Per this article: http://www.wrul.com/news_detail.php?ID=30esi


On Friday morning, officers were tipped off to vehicle parts including metallic green fender skirts and a black fender wheel.

1343039380.jpg


42220955.jpg
 
Wow... just read this article and it's very disturbing. Goes to show wives/girlfriends can be made to participate.

That case in here on WS. She very well could have been a participant by her own choice. IMO I say it again and again, we all need to be wary of the female gender as well these days. It tends to go over our heads because of the nurturing nature women are presumed to have....in many instances it is just one of the masks they are wearing. Beware! If need be, google women murders. In many cases, imo, they are more cold hearted and violent than men.
 
That case in here on WS. She very well could have been a participant by her own choice. IMO I say it again and again, we all need to be wary of the female gender as well these days. It tends to go over our heads because of the nurturing nature women are presumed to have....in many instances it is just one of the masks they are wearing. Beware! If need be, google women murders. In many cases, imo, they are more cold hearted and violent than men.

Oh yes...Britany Kilgore (OMG, that case is VERY disturbing) and Laura Ackerson (another disturbing one).
 
That case in here on WS. She very well could have been a participant by her own choice. IMO I say it again and again, we all need to be wary of the female gender as well these days. It tends to go over our heads because of the nurturing nature women are presumed to have....in many instances it is just one of the masks they are wearing. Beware! If need be, google women murders. In many cases, imo, they are more cold hearted and violent than men.

Good point. I'm thinking in a case where the husband/boyfriend wants to sexually assault or rape another woman, what goes through the wife/girlfriends mind? Would they really want to help their husband/boyfriend do that? That is so sick. But it does happen... willingly or unwillingly.

I'm new to this sleuthing stuff... but I'll get the hang of it. I'll check out the other case too.
 
Actually, I doubt it would have taken that long. It was 1.7 miles. I used to walk 3 miles at a brisk pace in under 40 minutes. Granted, I'm lighter and probably more fit than Cotson. :)

And the bumper...I've also heard it was just a piece of the bumper, not the whole thing. I've also heard it wasn't a bumper at all, but something like a headlight cover. Maybe we will get more clarification later. But I've never got the impression that the whole bumper came off.

You may be right about the time being a bit shorter, but I'm taking into consideration his inebriated state as well vs us whose main focus in our walking that distance as exerise.

I'd like to see it clarified if it was the back or front bumper. Since they are stating he lost the truck parts while trying to loosen the trailer, at this point I'm assuming it was the rear; but in his condition, he very well could have snagged the front end on something. In one of the other articles there was something green and a wheel skirt, I'll mention and link it when reviewing again. Guessing his truck is green?

ETA: Thanks Surfie for the link ^^^^^about the truck parts.
 
The boat. No one official has said what kind it was. As mentioned in a past post which may’ve been deleted by mod – the Little Wabash isn’t particularly ‘navigable’. I know a young limber guy uses a kayak on TLWB, another a canoe, but most use jon-boats. Pure speculation but I’d lean toward D-C’s being a jon-boat. Heavy metal, flat-bottomed construction, ability to hop out of the jon-boat and into TLWR to hoist the j-b up and over a deadfall blocking the river to continue on and not be stopped by a natural barricade. Jonboats require some stamina to shove and slide them into a trailer – unless one has a winch-system on the trailer – so the winch does “the heavy lifting” – and could allow a lone fellow to load/unload a boat.

Boat trailers, light weight, cheap ones, can be tedious to deal with except under superb and perfect conditions. They hang up all too easily. The driftwood that snarls up along the banks of a river, plus stumps, would be horrendous to negotiate, especially if driving drunk.

With the boat trailer hopelessly stuck, then yes, until the tow-vehicle was unhooked than it, TOO, was technically stuck until unhitched. Once unhooked – voila! – truck is good-to-go.

PURE speculation. I’m fence-sitting on Ms. Candace’s part in all of this. (Think Edith Bunker in-home treatment {only worse!} of some women who ‘help’ out of fear not to obey and do as told, treated like a household appliance - whereas another poster is dead-on accurate that females can be savages.) And IF it turns out Candace was privy to more…I’d wager she was more than properly told “stifle yourself!”

I’d think that in returning to the public-access type site he had with him a chain or tow-strap, which he could affix to the tongue of the boat trailer and with a longer “reach” get the truck-leverage, and tire-footing to haul it out. Then Candace could’ve been installed to help rehook the truck/trailer linkages to save him in-and-outing from his cab to try to align the hookups by himself by calling out directions – sometimes necessarily given in literal inches to the driver.

And away they’d go!

One thing that rather bothers me is how LEOs in official statements proclaimed there was no sign of violence aside from the headshots to the murdered teen. Really? Now we discover that almost anyone could’ve seen the truck-bed evidence and realized there’d been an assault.

People want to know Coston’s “why”. I wonder about that disinformation “why”. I’d imagine they had a reason and one day it may be revealed.
 
What a mess. They have the date as Sat., Aug 25 and mistaken about there being only 2 charges of murder. Believe there were a total of 5 per DA and the way IL allowed him to prosecute.

Interview with Sheriff and ISP Det. Richard D White AFTER JW's body was found.

Maier testified that Coston, on the videotape, said he drove up on Wheeler and Evans at a campsite near the Little Wabash River northeast of Centerville. The sheriff said Coston told interviewers that he asked Wheeler if he would help him disconnect a boat trailer from his pickup truck, because he had gotten “hung up.”

BBM: That doesn't make any sense.

Coston told the officers he climbed into the bed of Wheeler’s truck for the ride home.

BBM: I smell hink. Why would it be be important to DC to tell this? If he was asked by LE then this the answer... it wouldn't be so important, but this says he told them...volunteered the info. Maybe he didn't and is distancing himself from what could have taken place in the cab...argument..getting fresh, etc.....or is there the possibility that he snuck or jumped into the bed when JW and JE were trying to remove themselves from his presence?

Maier related that Coston told him and Detective White that Evans was screaming, and pleading for her life, saying she would do anything to live. Maier testified that Coston told him he took that to mean she would agree to sex. In his confession, Coston said he drove Evans behind a nearby abandoned house where the two engaged in sex on the tailgate of Wheeler’s truck.

BBM: This was the area where JW's truck was found down the embankment. (per earlier articles) Off near the intersection of CR 1400 and CR 2150. A mile south of their campsite. If I can get a good image on a map of the abandoned house I will post.

Coston told police that after engaging in sex, he knew he could not let Evans live. Coston told investigators he shot Evans in the side of her head, but it apparently only stunned her. When she lunged at him, Coston said he shot her in the forehead, causing her death.

BBM: This is the first time with this info.

Police found Evans’ partially nude body in the back of the truck on Aug. 27.

Searchers found Wheeler’s body on the evening of Aug. 31.

Coston told Maier he had used own gun, a semi-automatic .22 caliber Ruger Mark II & he found a .22 caliber Walther semi-automatic pistol belonging to Wheeler and threw both of them out of his truck somewhere between the scene of the slayings and where he dumped Wheeler’s body. Despite an exhaustive search of the area, neither weapon has been found.

Interesting comment by blacksam below article.

http://m.courierpress.com/news/2012/sep/12/details-emerge-killing-southern-illinois-couple-su/

Just trying to document some important facts and the content of these articles before being altered or disappeared.
 
I think we will find information previously released to not match. We have a guy that was interviewed 4 times and would probably give a different account of what happened, even if he spoke today. His timeline/reason may never make sense to us; and I think this is always the hardest part....trying to understand why he did what he did....those of us that are considered 'sane' can never really grasp their reasonings...and I'm not sure I want to either.

JMO
 
Of course Danny Coston’s “stories” are constantly changing, confusingly so, and evolving as he tries to give pseudo reasons pointing the finger of culpability at OTHER PEOPLE (i.e. his proclaiming he was so irresistible Ms Jessi had consensual sex with him, and I believe from the morass of input he tried to make it look like self-defense against Jacob and even "protecting" Jessica from her boyfriend.)

I rather pity the people in the diverse local media trying to sort through this swill and pick out a few nuggets that may have a small degree of connection to the reality of what really happened. They may be reduced to putting up sheets of poster-board and trying to do a time-line/story-board to jibe the numerous versions against. LEOs, too!

Frankly, I’m not (at this point) even buying the story he threw the pistols away, and they haven’t been found by officials who no doubt seriously searched for them.. In So IL most gun-owners would hate to throw away a firearm. It’d pain them. Especially decent brand name pieces. I’d be more prone to suspect he chucked them away in a hiding spot someplace for later retrieval and benefit. I’m betting deep down he EXPECTS to be set free and walk out of the White County Jail. Even now!

He did, clearly, seem to believe he was going to get way with it, after all. And gave short shrift to the fact he led authorities to the body. These types are possessed of what some call "Magic Thinking" - and he seems to have a major case of that phenomenon. Sociopathic types often believe they’re just a lil’ smarter than everyone else involved, dontchaknow!

Murderers often brutalize and “KILL” The Truth, also. Interviews by White County and ISP authorities are no doubt frustrating as he seems to “lie out of both sides of his mouth” and constantly comes up with, “Hey! You’ll like THIS version better, maybe! And IT'S the truth!!!”

LEOs are probably entering a cubicle to interview D-C and eye-rolling at each other as they prepare to join him across the table, quoting the late Ronald Reagan in sotto voice whispers: “Here we go again!”

I saw the lies upon lies when in Chester on Death Row with sentence in place. That dude seriously and sincerely thought he was going to be off The Row “by Christmas”. Talk about denial! And his gf was just as bad, encouraging that belief, and they were making plans gonna be free as lovebirds to live happily ever after, as if the debt to society would be forgiven just-like-THAT.

A young female area probation officer, a chemist by education and work stint, when the economy fell apart almost a decade ago, took a job that required a college degree, and ended up, this kindly, pleasant, mannerly lady as one could hope to find, when she signed on as a probation officer to everyone's surprise, admitted with a sweetly knowing smile that she settled into her new job with aplomb.

In dealing with her clientele her foundation for successful for inter-reactions was based on importantly knowing when crim types are mangling and distorting the truth.

She developed a Quick Rule of Thumb: “If their lips are moving – they’re probably lying.”
 
I really wish in these articles they would use the word rape instead of sex. There was nothing remotely sexual going on here where Jessie was concerned. She was raped. She had just witnessed someone she cared for being murdered and left on the side of the road. She was terrified. She feared for her life and rightfully so. She was screaming and pleading for her life.

http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/commonmyths2.php

Fact Studies show that most rapes are premeditated i.e. they are either wholly or partially planned in advance. All rapes committed by more than one assailant are always planned. Men can quite easily control their urges to have sex - they do not need to rape a woman to satisfy them. Rape is an act of violence - not sexual gratification. Men who rape or sexually assault does so to dominate, violate and control.

Myth The man was drunk / on drugs / depressed / under stress / wasn't himself.

Fact Men use a variety of excuses to justify the act of rape. There is never an excuse.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1990/07/22/the-mind-of-the-rapist.html

Anger, deep and dark, is a common thread among rapists. Something has invariably gone wrong with their lives, often from almost the very beginning. A 1982 study of rapists in Oregon found that as many as 80 percent were abused children, and their own victimization results in a kind of emotional death.

Jessie did not have consensual sex. That is insulting.
 
Spot on Magnolia. Point taken. But long "ignored" by male dominated media, etc.

Historically, back in 1975 Susan Brownmiller wrote a huge book AGAINST OUR WILL, a huge and well-researched dissertation about rape and expressed that very factoid. Rape is based on anger, hatred, power-grabbing, etc. etc. Society ain't paying attention. Nor sensitive to how wimmen feel about it. So probably it'll continue unabated. Unfortunately.

I sat through a local child-molester trial. He got off scot free. Over lunch w/his defense attorney, who said, "How am I doing?" I looked him straightaway in the eye and told him he was doing such a job that a man guilty as sin was gonna walk free. At the expense of a disbelieved 7 year old girl-child. And, with a jury heavily weighted toward male-types picked during voir dire. He squirmed. But he didn't stop his defense.

Damned DIRE for truth and justice, IMO.

Someone when I signed on, a poster, I believe, from Down Under warned me this place could be "addictive". Uh-huh.

It was fun while it (briefly) lasted (and blasted). But I really have a lotta things I need to DO. After scorching heat, winter's nigh. And I know how to cure some kinds of internet addictions - f-a-s-t. Go to user CP, type in gibberish for a replacement password, toss the post-it note in the burning barrel, and viola! done for.

But I'll probably lurk.

Sometimes there are World-Beater type crimes that boggle the mind, offend the sensibilities, and breach the outer limits of depraved human behavior. Unless I miss my guess 'n gut instincts this is ONE. Sad to say, I think it's a sad and shabby case of where "we ain't seen nothin' yet."

HollyBlue, I was kinda writing for YOU alone, anyway, a one-time fellow So Illinoian, anyway. You felt kinda like a "neighbor". S'long, Holly!
 
Understandably Been Around the Block work needs to be done, but keep that password near when needed to come out of Lurkydom. :)
 
Well, I am still looking for the abandoned house near CR1400E...I may have to go to other maps besides Google. But your not going to believe what I just realized....Jacob was slain on the very road he lived on. :thud:

Here's map where Jessica was found with the truck...and the road DC returned to pick JW's body.
http://goo.gl/maps/ZUQAg

Coston put her in the bed of the truck, went back to the campsite and unhitched his boat from his truck, drove back to the county road (2210 N) to get Wheeler’s body, and took it to be disposed in Wayne County to the north of the Interstate.

http://www.disclosurenewsonline.com/2012/09/12/state-holds-prelim-heres-the-story-weve-been-waiting-for/
 
I must wonder, DC was "hitting" on women and getting turned down. Then he RAPED and killed Jessica; all the while, he has a GIRLFRIEND at home!!! He had someplace to go and "get a little", yet he helped himself to a beautiful girl that didn't want him.

Rape is all about control and anger. There is NO excuse!
 
Well, I am still looking for the abandoned house near CR1400E...I may have to go to other maps besides Google. But your not going to believe what I just realized....Jacob was slain on the very road he lived on. :thud:
Here's map where Jessica was found with the truck...and the road DC returned to pick JW's body.
http://goo.gl/maps/ZUQAg

Coston put her in the bed of the truck, went back to the campsite and unhitched his boat from his truck, drove back to the county road (2210 N) to get Wheeler’s body, and took it to be disposed in Wayne County to the north of the Interstate.

http://www.disclosurenewsonline.com/2012/09/12/state-holds-prelim-heres-the-story-weve-been-waiting-for/

BBM

It's sick. So a small part of the story, that Jake and Jess, were taking him home must have a ring of truth to it.

I wonder if his family heard anything.

thanks for the maps!!
 
http://www.wsiltv.com/news/local/White-County-Murder-Suspects-Confession-Revealed-169528856.html

Jacob's father, Harold, listened to the entire testimony.

"He was just giving them a ride home, and it sounds like he dumped him just right up from our house," Harold exclaims.

He described the pain it caused to listen to the details, but did his best to keep his cool. Harold says he is putting his faith in Sheriff Maier's investigation to bring justice.

"Life in prison without parole, since they ain't got a death sentence in Illinois."

I feel so bad for Jacob's father!
 
Does anyone know if the video/audio of all four of LE's interrogations of DC go the defense when discover is turned over? Is this the reason video/audio itself was not present today in the prelim and just Meirer's testimony? TIA

Not sure, but I believe today was just a probable cause hearing. The prosecution has to lay out enough evidence to convince the judge that there is probable cause for an actual trial. They do not have to lay out all of their evidence at this point, and they don't have to play the actual tapes of the interviews or present physical evidence (I think).

When this actually goes to trial, the prosecution is required to share all of their evidence with the defense, so that the defense has a chance to respond to it. The defense does not have to share their strategy or witnesses with the prosecution.
 

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